Ashok Chavan targetted the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government on the issue of farmer suicides while speaking at an event in Yavatmal

The BJP-led Maharashtra government is an incarnation of a demon, former chief minister Ashok Chavan said on Tuesday as her targetted CM Devendra Fadnavis on farmers' issues. Chavan's comments were made in the context of a BJP spokesperson's recent claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an avator of Lord Vishnu.

"The BJP government is not an incarnation of God but rather an incarnation of a demon," Chavan, who was speaking in Yavatmal, said before taking a dig at CM Fadnavis.

Chavan was speaking at a function to launch the fourth phase of the Congress's statewide Jan Sangharsh Yatra in western Vidarbha.

The movement is the party's largest mass contact programme aimed at mobilising public anger against the BJP-Shiv Sena state government. The western Vidarbha phase of the yatra will move across Amravati, Washim, Wardha, and Yavatmal districts before culminating at Chikhli in Amravati on December 9.

At the event, Chavan also accused Fadnavis of using religion to play politics. He claimed that the BJP took money from temples for the party's own benefit. "Yesterday, the CM said that he would give Rs 100 crore to Pohradevi Temple.

But two days ago, he took a Rs 500-crore [loan] from the Saibaba Sansthan in Shirdi. This government will never give money to god. They will only take money from god. They forgot Ayodhya for the last four-and-a-half years [for which the party has been in power at the Centre] and are now taking Lord Ram's name to seek votes."

He alleged that the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra is the biggest obstacle to the state's development. "Under the Congress government, Maharashtra was known for at a numero uno position in the fields of business and industry. Today, it is number one in farmer suicides. The state is facing an agrarian crisis with an unprecedented increase in farmer suicides."

Chavan also hit out at the BJP for taking credit for granting reservation to Marathas. "BJP leaders are trying to take credit for granting Marathas reservation by putting up banners and hoardings. But the real credit goes only to the Maratha community." He also demanded that the government should take immediate action on granting reservations to the Muslim and Dhangar communities.

Chavan has been leading the Jan Sangharsh Yatra for the past four months. The first three phases of the Yatra moved across western Maharashtra, north Maharashtra and Vidarbha, covering more than 60 Assembly constituencies.